Nelson Mandela’s Story: What if Social Networking Existed When He Was Imprisoned? [VIDEO]

Nelson Mandela, the man who stood firm against apartheid and served 27 years in complete isolation from the world, is 94 years old today. To celebrate his life and accomplishments in South Africa, a group called Prezence Digital created a video around a single premise: Would Nelson Mandela have served 27 years in prison if he and others had access to the same technology, social media platforms and tools that we have today?

The four-minute video showcases Nelson Mandela and others who played crucial roles in his life using Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to revisit different times in his life, from his divorce, to his arrest and eventually, his freedom.

Would things have been different if social media existed during Mandela's times before and during his time as president as South Africa? Maybe not, the video says, but it encourages people to use the footage as inspiration to not focus on the past, but the now and the future. It also asks everyone to use 67 minutes every day to make a difference in their community -- something we can all take away from it.

Happy birthday, Mr. Mandela.

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